SNC-Lavalin’s Candu Energy has won a two-year project worth C$65m to prepare for the life-extending refurbishment of a nuclear reactor in Romania.

Working for Romanian utility Nuclearelectrica, it will conduct long lead and front-end engineering services for the upcoming Cernavoda Unit 1 refurbishment project, which would see the reactor’s operating life extended to 2060.

The win builds on SNC-Lavalin’s last pre-project mandate at Cernavoda announced in 2022.

Cernavoda’s two Candu units supply 20% of Romania’s electricity.

Romania aims to phase out nearly 4 gigawatt hours of coal-fired power by 2032.

Nuclearelectrica’s chief executive Cosmin Ghiță said the Unit 1 refurbishment would give Romania another 30 years of clean, baseload energy.